Gross-Wen Technologies
Slater, US · Founded 2016 · Iowa corporation · 25 employees on LinkedIn · 4 known investors
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Gross-Wen Technologies (GWT) develops the patented RAB algae-based system to treat municipal and industrial wastewater, recovering nutrients from the water and recycling the nutrient-rich algae into slow-release fertilizer. The company serves municipal and industrial clients seeking sustainable wastewater treatment.
Also known as GWT
Founders & leadership
Gross-Wen Technologies was founded in 2016 by Dr. Martin Gross and Dr. Zhiyou Wen.


Board
Investors · 4
How we know: AiiM Partners's portfolio page · Not right? Tell us
How we know: ISA Ventures's portfolio page · a partner's Signal profile · funding news · press coverage · Not right? Tell us
How we know: Next Level Ventures's portfolio page · funding news · press coverage · the VCSheet dataset · Not right? Tell us
How we know: funding news · press coverage · Not right? Tell us
Reported raises · per SEC filings
Form D private placements$16.1M disclosed across 6 rounds · 2018–2025
▶$1MraisedAug 2025 · 4 investors · Other TechnologyRule 506(b)
- David FurbushExecutive Officer, Director
- Joseph ZubackDirector
- Nathan KatznerDirector
- Martin GrossExecutive Officer, Director
- David TakesDirector
- Offering amount
- $2M
- Amount sold
- $1M
- First sale
- Jun 2025
- Incorporated
- Corporation, Iowa
- Federal exemptions
- 06b
▶$8MraisedJun 2025 · 19 investors · Other TechnologyRule 506(b)
- Martin GrossExecutive Officer, Director
- David TakesDirector
- David FurbushExecutive Officer, Director
- Joseph ZubackDirector
- Nathan KatznerDirector
- Offering amount
- $8M
- Amount sold
- $8M
- First sale
- Jun 2022
- Incorporated
- Corporation, Iowa
- Federal exemptions
- 06b
▶$2.5MraisedJul 2021 · 3 investors · Other TechnologyRule 506(b)
- Martin GrossExecutive Officer, Director
- David FurbushExecutive Officer, Director
- David TakesDirector
- Zhiyou WenExecutive Officer, Director
- Offering amount
- $2.5M
- Amount sold
- $2.5M
- First sale
- Jul 2021
- Incorporated
- Corporation, Iowa
- Federal exemptions
- 06b
▶$2.3MraisedAug 2020 · 7 investors · Other TechnologyRule 506(b)
- David TakesDirector
- Zhiyou WenExecutive Officer, Director
- Martin GrossExecutive Officer, Director
- David FurbushExecutive Officer, Director
- Offering amount
- $5M
- Amount sold
- $2.3M
- Minimum investment
- $250K
- First sale
- Aug 2019
- Incorporated
- Corporation, Iowa
- Federal exemptions
- 06b
▶$204KraisedMay 2020 · 2 investors · Other TechnologyRule 506(b)
- Martin GrossExecutive Officer, Director
- David TakesDirector
- Zhiyou WenExecutive Officer, Director
- David FurbushExecutive Officer, Director
- Offering amount
- $204K
- Amount sold
- $204K
- First sale
- May 2020
- Incorporated
- Corporation, Iowa
- Federal exemptions
- 06b
▶$2MraisedJun 2018 · 1 investors · Other TechnologyRule 506(c)
- David FurbushExecutive Officer, Director
- Zhiyou WenExecutive Officer, Director
- Martin GrossExecutive Officer, Director
- Darren JarboeDirector
- Offering amount
- $2M
- Amount sold
- $2M
- Minimum investment
- $150.1K
- First sale
- Jun 2018
- Incorporated
- Corporation, Iowa
- Federal exemptions
- 06c
Source: SEC EDGAR Form D. Amounts as filed; amended filings shown once at their latest values.
Company profile
researched Aug 2026Gross-Wen Technologies (GWT) is a wastewater treatment technology company built around its Revolving Algal Biofilm (RAB) system, an algae-based process for recovering nutrients from wastewater. The company positions the system as an alternative to conventional wastewater treatment technologies for municipal, industrial and agricultural users.
The RAB system is described as recovering and reusing nitrogen and phosphorus from wastewater while producing an algae byproduct. GWT states that the process operates with very low energy input, requires no chemical inputs, and reduces the carbon footprint and life-cycle costs of treatment relative to other approaches. Applications span municipal primary, secondary and tertiary treatment, anaerobic digestate treatment, and industrial and agricultural effluent treatment.
Business model
GWT deploys its RAB system at customer sites, progressing from pilot and demonstration installations to full-scale systems at municipal utilities and industrial facilities. [0]
Traction
The company lists a portfolio of deployments across demonstration, pilot and full-scale stages, including full-scale sites at Pasco, Washington (industrial food and beverage), Iowa City, Iowa (municipal anaerobic digestate treatment) and Slater, Iowa (municipal primary treatment); demonstration sites in Chicago, Creston and Slater; and pilots with Darling in Sioux City, Iowa and Wahoo, Nebraska, Grain Processing Corp., Herrema Dairy, Muscatine, Iowa, Stickney in Chicago, a large corn processor, and Singapore. [0]
▸Full profile — market position, technology, go-to-market, geography
Market position
The company presents the RAB system as a cost-effective and sustainable alternative to conventional wastewater treatment technologies, competing on life-cycle cost, energy use and nutrient recovery. [0]
Technology
The core technology is the Revolving Algal Biofilm (RAB) system, in which algae are grown to take up nutrients from wastewater. The company describes the system as recovering and reusing nitrogen and phosphorus, producing an algae byproduct, operating with ultra-low energy input, and requiring no chemical inputs. [0]
Go-to-market
Municipalities requiring primary, secondary or tertiary treatment and anaerobic digestate treatment; industrial customers, particularly food and beverage and grain/corn processing operations; and agricultural operations such as dairies. [0]
Geography
Installations and pilots are concentrated in the United States Midwest, including Slater, Creston, Iowa City, Muscatine and Sioux City in Iowa, Chicago, Illinois (O'Brien and Stickney), Wahoo, Nebraska and Pasco, Washington, with additional sites in York and a pilot in Singapore. [0]
Compiled by commissioned research from 1 cited public sources — announcements, filings, and press listed under research sources below.
Related companies · 1
Companies working in the same space as Gross-Wen Technologies.
Legal entities · 1
corporate structureIn the news
▸Research sources · 1
primary sources listed
- Gross-Wen Technologiesalgae.com · web
1 public sources were cited for this profile; the first-party ones are listed here.
Frequently asked questions
- What does Gross-Wen Technologies do?
- Gross-Wen Technologies treats municipal and industrial wastewater with its Revolving Algal Biofilm (RAB) algae system.
- Who founded Gross-Wen Technologies?
- Gross-Wen Technologies was founded by Dr. Martin Gross, Dr. Zhiyou Wen in 2016.
- Who are Gross-Wen Technologies's investors?
- Gross-Wen Technologies's investors include AiiM Partners, ISA Ventures, Next Level Ventures, Ag Startup Engine Seed.
- How much funding has Gross-Wen Technologies raised?
- Gross-Wen Technologies has disclosed $16.1M raised across 6 rounds.
- Where is Gross-Wen Technologies headquartered?
- Gross-Wen Technologies is headquartered in Slater, US.




